{{short description|Species of mammal in the Erinaceidae family}} {{Speciesbox | name = Moonrat<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Erinaceomorpha | id = 13600055 | page = 218}} </ref> | image = Haarigel (Echinosorex gymnura).jpg | image2 = Echinosorex gymnura Harvard.jpg | image2_caption = Museum specimens of the two moonrat subspecies:<br/> ''E. g. gymnura'' (above)<br/> ''E. g. alba'' (below) | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Cassola, F. |date=2016 |title=''Echinosorex gymnura'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T40603A22326807 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T40603A22326807.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref> | display_parents = 2 | genus = Echinosorex | parent_authority = Blainville, 1838 | species = gymnura | authority = (Raffles, 1822) | synonyms = | range_map = Greater Moonrat area.png | range_map_caption = Moonrat range }}
The '''moonrat''' ('''''Echinosorex gymnura''''') is a southeast Asian species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae (the hedgehogs and gymnures). It is the only species in the genus '''''Echinosorex'''''. The moonrat is a fairly small, primarily carnivorous animal which, despite its name, is not closely related to rats or other rodents. The scientific name is sometimes given as ''Echinosorex gymnurus'', but this is incorrect.<ref name=MSW3/>
==Description== The moonrat has a distinct pungent odor with strong ammonia content, different from the musky smell of carnivorans.<ref name="britannica">{{Britannica|391430}}</ref> There are two subspecies: ''E. g. gymnura'' is found in Sumatra and the Thai-Malay Peninsula; ''E. g. alba'' is found in Borneo.<ref name="payne" /> In the former the head and frontal half of the body are white or grey-white; the remaining is mainly black.<ref name=francis/> The latter subspecies is generally white (''alba'' means white in Latin), with a sparse scattering of black hairs; it appears totally white from a distance. Those from western Borneo tend to have a greater proportion of black hairs than those from the east, but animals from Brunei appear intermediate.<ref name="payne" /> Largely white ''E. g. gymnura'' also occur, but they are rare.<ref name=francis/>
Head and body length is {{convert|32|-|40|cm|in|abbr=on}}, tail length is {{convert|20|-|29|cm|in|abbr=on}},<ref>{{Cite book|title = A Naturalist's Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia|last1 = Shepherd|first1 = Chris R.|publisher = John Beaufoy Publishing|year = 2012|isbn = 978-1-906780-71-5|location = Wiltshire, UK|page = 14|last2 = Shepherd|first2 = Loretta Ann}}</ref> hind foot length is {{convert|6.5|-|7.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} and weight is {{convert|870|-|1100|g|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=francis>{{cite book | last1 = Francis | first1 = C.M. | title = A field guide to the mammals of South-East Asia | publisher = New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd. | year = 2008 | page = 176 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=zWeS8A6nunIC&pg=176 | access-date = 2011-04-06 | isbn = 978-1-84537-735-9}}</ref> The dental formula is {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.4.3|lower=3.1.4.3|total=44}}.<ref name="payne">Payne, J. and Francis, C. M. 2005. ''A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo''. Sabah society, Malaysia {{ISBN|9679994716}}.</ref> It is possibly the largest member of the order Erinaceomorpha, although the European hedgehog likely weighs a bit more at {{convert|1000|g|lb|abbr=on}} and up to {{convert|2000|g|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name = "Wood">{{cite book| author = Wood, Gerald| title = The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats| year = 1983| publisher = Guinness Superlatives| isbn = 978-0-85112-235-9| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofan00wood}}</ref>
==Ecology and habitat==
Moonrats are nocturnal and terrestrial, lying up under logs, roots or in abandoned burrows during the day. They inhabit moist forests including mangrove and swamp forests and often enter water.<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /><ref name=francis/> In Borneo, they occur mainly in forests, but in peninsular Malaysia they are also found in gardens and plantations. They feed on earthworms and various small animals, mostly arthropods. The moonrat is a host of the acanthocephalan intestinal parasite ''Moniliformis echinosorexi''.<ref name="Deveaux1988">{{Cite journal |doi = 10.2307/3282462|pmid = 3128654|jstor = 3282462|title = Two New Species of Moniliformis (Acanthocephala: Moniliformidae) from Malaysia|journal = The Journal of Parasitology|volume = 74|issue = 2|pages = 322–5|year = 1988|last1 = Deveaux|first1 = Timothy P.|last2 = Schmidt|first2 = Gerald D.|last3 = Krishnasamy|first3 = M.}}</ref>
==Lifespan==
The lifespan of the moonrat is up to five years.<ref name="americazoo">[http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/39.htm The Leading America Zoo Site on the Net]. americazoo.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-19. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102121327/http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/39.htm |date=January 2, 2009 }}</ref>
==Conservation status==
The moonrat is not considered a threatened species. The main threat to the moonrat is deforestation activities due to human development for agriculture, plantation, and commercial logging. Moreover, other demands from Penan in Borneo for food and traditional medicinal contribute to decreasing numbers of moonrats in Borneo.<ref name="websiteofeverything">{{cite web |title=Gymnures and hedgehogs |url=http://www.thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Insectivora/Erinaceidae/ |access-date=2012-12-19 |website=The Website of Everything}}</ref> The species is also found in protected areas, including Matang National Park and Kuching Wetlands National Park. Its IUCN status is Least Concern.<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" />
==Economic importance==
The Penan in Borneo used to trade moonrat meat for other foods and goods among themselves and for money.<ref name="americazoo" />
==In culture== In Thailand, moonrat is known as ''nhoo muen'' ({{langx|th|หนูเหม็น}}, {{IPA|th|nǔː mɯ̂an|pron}}, {{lit|smelly rat}}). The name refers to its rat-like appearance and the strong odor of its body, reminiscent of ammonia. Traditionally, it is believed that the bones of the moonrat can be used to protect against black magic, sorcery, and love charms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sanook.com/news/903769/|work=Sanook.com|date=2010-02-24|access-date=2025-08-26|language=thai|title=พบสัตว์แปลกตัวคล้ายหนู หน้า-ปากเหมือนหมู|trans-title=Unusual animal discovered – mouse-sized body, pig-like face}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikispecies|Echinosorex gymnura}} *[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Echinosorex_gymnura.html Echinosorex gymnura] - Animal Diversity Web
{{Erinaceidae|G.}} {{Taxonbar|from1=Q754046|from2=Q10757917}}
Category:Gymnures Category:Mammals of Borneo Category:Mammals of Myanmar Category:Mammals of Indonesia Category:Mammals of Malaysia Category:Mammals of Thailand Category:Mammals described in 1822